Checklist-Check Offs!

Hey everyone...been over 2 months now in South Africa and a little less than 3 more to go! Time flies when you're having fun!

As most of y'all know, my dad and Beth came over and spent a week with me traveling along the Garden Route (Pics on Facebook "Let's see..."album says it all). It was an absolute blast to spend some quality time with them. Did Table Mt./Cape Town for a day, some Wine Tastings around Stellenbosch, Hiking, Whale/Seal Watching, Safari and brief drive through Addo Elephant Park. :) Sad to see them go, but glad they came.

Mom comes in just under a week now, on Friday! :) Jerry and her get in and spend a weekend in Stellenbosch then travel out around the Garden Route. I'll fly to meet them in George and spend the next weekend with them then after that, they'll be more towards Cape Town and Stellenbosch. Can't wait and I'm excited to get some more Sunflower Seeds! :) Also, everyone pray that Evan gets his passport started so he can try and come visit in November!!!

Well, I made a checklist at towards the start of my blogs...so now it's time to check some off, of what I've already done!

1. Cage Diving with Great Whites (did that today) :) Amazing to be so close to the world's greatest predator
2. Go on a Safari (Blaauwbosch Game Reserve)
3. Drink Wine (I've gotten a good representation from many Vineyards around Stellenbosch) ;)
4. Indulge myself in local customs (Not so much the Afrikaans culture but the Xhosa more so! They're all so friendly and accepting, especially the little boogers I volunteer for!)
5. Played Rugby (American Football is still better :P)
6. Tried many new foods (Gemsbok is my favorite and Kudu is delicious as well)
7. Bought a vuvuzela and broke it 2 days later (Oh well)
8. Whale Watching (Plettenberg Baai over Spring Break)
9. Hiked Table Mt. (Great, easy hike, and so beautiful at the top)

Things still to come,
Bungee Jumping, Sand Boarding, Hopefully all the animal ones still on the list, not looking likely though...although I've seen all of them, Madagascar is looking out of the picture but Mozambique and Namibia are looking quite possible. Only seen one Cape Fox and it was in the Reserve...not going to get them :( and Afrikaans is insanely difficult, even more so than French for me...probably not going to happen!

Well, I've done pretty good so far, I'd say. I miss all of you back home very. I miss American Football so much as well...kinda glad I can't see what's going on, the Panthers aren't looking too good this year, oh well, N.C. State is 3-0 :) go Pack and Go Niners...I'll be home in time for the Tennessee game!!

Cheers everyone,
Ryan/R.J.

Two Different Worlds; Not so different at all!

Howzit everyone!!?? Sorry it's been a while since my last post; had a lot going on! :D Ok well, let's first start off with classes: pretty fun, that's about it! haha Getting into the core of the classes and I'm getting much reassurance on why I chose African Studies in the first place!! Love my professors, and my classmates, so that's great!
Next, Kayamandi! Well, I could write so much about it, but for now, I'll go into just some of it. The after-school program is amazing!! Amazing, amazing, amazing!!! My boys, aka Crazy Dogs, are so much fun! Sive, Asandiso, Zokonia, Tebuho, and Izwi are a hassle, but a blessing to mentor! Every Thursday we work on a lesson, i.e. fractions, for about an hour, then, we do what the kids love to do and that's FREE TIME!! The last 2 weeks, I've been in charge of playing soccer with them...they're freakin good!! haha
Kayamandi Basketball!!! Ok, first off, I'd like to point out, this is one of the most fun things I've ever done in my life. It's not an adrenaline rush, or a big bowl of chocolate icecream, but the boys on the basketball team give me a feeling of pure joy everytime I'm with them! I'm going to try and name them all and spell them correctly, their names are difficult, to say the least. Timbalani, best player by far, Voyeeso (great ball handler), The Sia's, Sophia, Spia, Bonga (Class Clown/sick dancer), Umbungulugi (best defender), Lawanda (One of the nicest kids I've ever encountered! So pure and genuine at heart), Leslo (Only 10 but he's so fun! First to show up, last to leave!) Bossi, and Mafa (team captain and a funny kid) Ok, so I did better than I thought with spelling but the point is y'all...I've been so blessed to have these kids in my life. They've taught me so much about the importance of life!! The pureness of who they are, makes coaching them and helping them with something as simple as basketball, appreciate life so much more!! Miss a lay-up, still smiling! Get blocked, Lebron style, by coach Ryan, still smilin!! haha God has blessed me to the fullest with giving me the opportunity to help out in Kayamandi! "Even just a smile, warms the heart!"
Last, Table Mountain and Penguins/Cape Point are pretty self-explanatory through the pictures on my Facebook!! :D AMAZING times with EVEN more AMAZING people!!
Miss you all and love y'all!!

Cheers,
Ryan/R.J.

Ma bhuti

Molo Molweni, greetings from Stellenbosch. So, second week of school has come to an end and all 4 of my classes were a delight and knowledgeable. I dropped the "Political and Cultural Change" class and in its place I'm taking, Truth Commissions, self-explanatory.
Time for the fun stuff. Today was the first day of my after-school program in Kayamandi. The best way I can put it, is that, I have fallen in love!!! Only one day, but all my dreams and all of my love for kids have come true!! There were around 30 some students from Stellenbosch who went today and volunteered for around a total of 75 kids. Their ages range from 12-14. I was put into the class 7D which was a great experience. It was also nice to have some of my buds from school with me. Helped ease their nerves. I went in and immediately opened up, which kind of scared me.
What we did:
1st, we took class attendence and then went up to the cafeteria and had a snack provided by some of the elders in town.
2nd, we went back down to the classroom and got into groups of around 4-5 kids and 2 Stellenbosch students. It was funny how me and another American named Morgan were put, on purpose, with the "trouble makers/class clowns." They're not bad kids but they knew he and I could handle them. Our boys picked out the group name "Crazy Dogs" earlier on in the week, so we had a fun time with that. We have to get them to bark every time they say it though, it's so funny!!
3rd, we played an ice-breaker game to try and get to know the kids better. Didn't really work because the Stellenbosch students couldn't really be involved in the game. We'll think of something better next time. haha
4th, we went back to the classroom and had "coloring" time. All me and my Crazy Dogs: Sive "aka lil Weezey", Tebuho, Asadihmo (forgot how to spell it) and the other boy, also forgot his name, they're complicated names, did was joke around about the pretty girls from school and the college girls and talked about sports. Basically all guys talk about anyways. haha
5th, we went out into the courtyard and hung out with the kids and just had fun. The kids had to give all of the volunteers Xhosa names. I was named "ma bhuti" by my Crazy Dogs. ma bhuti means "my brother." I was so happy!!! :D It was also cute how all the little girls and boys were running around and writing their names on our arms so we wouldn't forget them. Some of the names were Leejoy, Nikelo and Vuyani...The kids were so happy and so open to us and welcomed us with open arms, litterally. I'll take some pictures with the kids soon, but I want to earn their trust first. Don't think that will take long though. :D

I can't WAIT to go tomorrow for basketball and also next Thursday for the after school program. I'll also post more details of what we are doing, this is very broad.

I love you all.

Cheers,
Ryan/R.J.

La Vita è Bella- "Life is Beautiful"

Well, I've got great news, and I've got greater news. 1st, I'll go with the great news. As most of y'all have seen, no Monday or Friday classes...amazing. Unfortunately I can't take the Wine class, the greater news gets in the way. Ok, so my classes I'm taking here are as follows: Tuesdays 2-5 Transitional Justice. It is a very detailed course on what happens after a war and who takes power and why and how the nation rebuilds itself. Amazing professor and looks amazing. Tuesdays & Wednesdays 5-6:30 Political and Cultural Change in South Africa. Basically how South Africa has over come apartheid and how the new democracy is helping rebuild the nation as 1. I love it already. Wednesdays 2-5 South African History. Self explanatory! Finally, Thursdays 12-2 Intro to African Politics. Again, explains it all in the title. So yeah, my classes are going to be amazing!!!! :D I can't wait to go to them soon.
Ok, it's time for the GREAT NEWS!!! There is a program here in Stellenbosch called the ISOS Kayamandi Project. ISOS stands for the International Student of Stellenbosch. The Kayamandi Project is a student led program composed of only students that volunteer in the town-ship named Kayamandi. As many of you know, I LOVE kids!! You've all seen me when I'm in my "kid" mode because they have such a free spirit, and they warm my heart. I love working with them and teaching them sports and math, etc... WELL, this project affords me the opportunity to work at a school in the town of Kayamandi and work with kids aging in range from 5-13 years old. Every Thursday, a group of students travel to the town, at 2, which is about 15kms outside of Stellenbosch, really close. While I'm there for 3 hrs. I get to do: arts and crafts, math, social studies and of course sports with the kids. It gets even better!!! Every Monday, hopefully, I will get to travel to Kayamandi and go to the Learning Center in the middle of town and read to pre-k kids!! There is an organization here called UNASA-S (United Nations Association of South Africa-Stellenbosch), and they do a bunch of volunteer work around South Africa, helping under-priviledged families and kids. BUT WAIT, that's not all...Every Monday and Friday I get to coach a high-school basketball team in Kayamandi. It was really funny when the coach of the team asked me where I was from, he was really excited to hear I was from America and wanted to coach the team!! haha They really want Americans to play basketball with them because they think that we are all as good as Lebron and Kobe!! It's so funny!!!
I love it!! This has always been a dream of mine and it is the reason I became an African Studies Major in the first place. The people I have met here are just as plain and as simple as I can put it, AMAZING!!! I can't wait to go on Friday and take a tour of Kayamandi and meet the locals and especially the kids!! I'll keep ya posted on what happens when I get a chance after it all gets rolling. Also, keep these kids and families in your prayers. This has been one of the coldest recorded winters in South Africa's history and these families don't have many means to keep warm. It's going to be nice to help them out any way I can!

Peace,
Ryan/R.J.

Molo Molweni (Hello Everyone)

Well, it's been a week since my last blog!! I really don't think I can write all the adventures and crazy times I've had already. First I'd like to say, all of your comments and support from abroad are so much appreciated and I thank you all so much for the love that you've shown me in this exciting time in my life.
I think it would be appropriate to just summarize everything in a list by days.
Sat.--Well, the trip up to D.C. was a very nervous car ride, to say the least. I was trying to be strong for momma; it was hard. Got to the airport with plenty of time to spare and had a good 1 hr wait until the plane so I watched the Germany, World Cup game. Met a really nice girl, Jill, from Pennsylvania at the gate. Got on the plane and met a really cool guy, Moyukh, from Mass. Had my own seat, which was AMAZING...but I didn't sleep much, had too much fun hanging with these guys!!

Sun-Arrived in Stellenbosch around 9 o'clock my time so didn't get to see the final of the World Cup. Got to Stellenbosch and un-packed a little and went out to a bar with some people I met on the plane to Cape Town.
Mon- Chilled with Americans all day and my new friends Anke, Holland, and John, South Africa. Got some supplies and just had a good time.
Tuesday-More people arrived from abroad and there are SO many Americans and Germans here. A lot of Dutch but not as much and a few other places here and there. Everyone is so nice and friendly and I've loved hangin out with all of them. And went dancing for a bit. Not American dancing. Crazy African dancing...it's a blast.
Wed.-Start of orientation...boring first couple of hours but it was interesting in some parts. Made a lot more friends. Don't want to name all of them cause I'm afraid I'll leave some out! haha Went out again on Wed. and again, met some great people. I don't know if you'll catch on, but everyone here is SO nice!!! Even the people working security and the workers at the Pick N Pay (grocery) are singing and dancing while working.
Had a Braai (cookout) in the courtyard of Concordia, my dorm...food was delicious and great time meeting new international kids. Thur-2nd day of orientation, again boring...still didn't have internet but there is a cool internet cafe in the student union, so that was a life-saver. Pics of the union still to come...it's amazing!! Hung out and got my classes all settled, no monday or friday classes, it's AMAZING!!! annndddd...South African Wine Industry class=too good to be true! Went dancing AGAIN, these people never NOT go out!!! I love it! :D
Friday-Busy, busy day...went for a jog at 7am, got my student I.D. card, set-up a student bank acount, finally got INTERNET, met some of my professors for my courses, they're all great so far. Also had a Welcome Braai with the International Office staff. It's so weird having a beer with your advisors and staff! ha Went out AGAIN, sleep really isn't known to these people. :D
Sat-All day in Cape Town!! The most beautiful city I've ever seen and I'll be going back VERY soon, cage diving on Sat. is looking pretty good so far!! :D :D Just got to see the jist of the city and Signal Hill. Table Mountain and Lions Head Mountain are absolutely gorgeous and Camps Bay around the mountain is such a pretty beach. Very peaceful but VERY wealthy...saw a lot of nice cars. Had lunch on the Water-Front (mall and board-walk in the harbor). It was a blast and food was great. Had another Braai tonight with all of the international kids and then went out dancing!! haha...it really never stops here, but it's a great way to burn the calories I'm gaining. And that leads me up to present time. It is currently 1:06am here and I have nothing to do but Skype dates with family tomorrow so I'm getting to sleep past 8am the first time in a week!!
So much more to say but we'll all talk soon enough, I'm about to fall asleep. I love you all and I hope the States are still kickin it as they were when I left. Cheers Mates!!


Peace,
Ryan/R.J.

Leavin on a Jet Plane!!

Aight everyone...big day has finally come!! Drivin up to D.C. with Momma and Jerry, and goodbye America at 5:40pm ,for 4 months and 10 days!! I hate saying goodbyes, but as my friends have said, it's more of a "see ya later!!" Couldn't be more right! I'll see all your beautiful smiles soon enough!! I love you all and I'll try to keep this updated on a regular! Keep it real y'all! :D

Peace,

Ryan/R.J.

Crunch Time-But Not the Candy

Well, it's crunch time. I've got 3 days till I drive up to D.C., say goodbye to my momma and Jerry and board an African Airways airbus-340. It hit me pretty hard yesterday that I'll be gone for 4 months, when I was buying toiletries and other little necessities. Never thought I'd be so nervous about anything in my life, up to this point of course. My momma told me the only problem I'm going to have is that I might just make too many friends and never want to come back! haha, I doubt that's going to happen. I'm going to miss all of you very much...especially Roo and Bojangles!! And I just started to drink sweet-tea (Shannon would be proud)!!! :D But for real, my friends and family have always been there for me and have supported me throughout this whole adventure and I just want to say thanks. Honestly couldn't do this without y'all! To wrap this up, I'm really excited!! I've got my dorm set-up and a few trips to Cape Town already booked, this is going to be one heck of a ride! Peace out puppy snouts!

Peace,

Ryan/R.J.

Lions, Sharks and Seals, Oh My!!

Ok, so I'm leaving in 1 week and 2 days...it's time to starting planning some things to do! I have compiled a short (my standards)list of activities to do while I'm over there on top of studying.

1. Cage Dive with Great White Sharks
2. Swim with Penguins and Seals
3. Bungee jump off the highest bungee platform in the world
4. Go on a Safari
5. Hold a baby lion
6. Pet a big lion :P
7. Race a Cheetah
8. Feed a Giraffe
9. Learn a significant amount of Afrikaans despite my language disabilities :P
10. Drink wine! (Not specifying how much! ha)
11. Live with a tribe for a weekend
12. Catch a Cape Fox
13. Indulge myself with native traditions and culture.
14. Go Sand-Boarding
15. Travel to Madagascar
16. Play Rugby
17. Try new foods
18. Buy a Vuvuzela
19. Whale Watching
20. Hike Table Mountain

If you have any other ideas for me to try...hit me up. I'll try anything!! :D

Love you all,
Ryan/R.J.

Almost Time to Go!!

Hey everyone,

I got this idea from a friend of mine to do a blog while I'm away in Africa. I've got a little over a week and a half left until I'm on the 21hr. plane ride (time difference). I hope all of you will follow my blog, that I will try my best to keep updated on a daily basis. :) My next post will be soon. I love you all and I'll miss everyone a bunch, but we'll keep in touch!

Peace,

Ryan/R.J.